AuthorTopic: Camping location advice - Eastern BC. (Read 2287 times)

I am trying to organize a camping trip with my girlfriend and she will be driving from Edmonton, and I from Vancouver. I was hoping someone might know of a nice little gem of a lake that has good fishing opportunities and nonrestrictive camping. I was looking into camping at Yoho but there are restrictions on just about everything, including buying a separate national park fishing license for 30 dollars, and they charge you a fee if you so much as leave a footprint. I was hoping somewhere in Eastern BC with trout fishing and not so developed camping, preferably somewhere between Here and Edmonton. I emphatically suggested Kamloops but it is too far of a drive for her.

Wells Gray provincial park.....between Kamloops and Jasper.....head in there at Clearwater and follow to the end at Clearwater lake.....the lake is better of course with any sort of boat but you as well can rent boat/canoes at the main campground at the lake.....ask about the boat/canoe access only campsites and they are absolutely specatular....I had no prob loading up a 14ft alum with the woman, dog and a ton of gear and I am sure I would have been able to load it all in a canoe as well as my first trip out there to "scout" it out this is exactly what I did (cheap to rent at the main site/launch point).........VERY private and just the site/table and outhouse all to yourself as there are just a few scattered private sites down the lake its best to get ahold of them or get there early to make sure you get a site.....all else fails there is the main campsite as well as a few others in the park. Fishing is ok both in the river and in the lake as well as a few others in the area...and I have caught both from shore and boat.....just cant say for sure about this time of year as I have always gone later in the year....might be a bit cool back in there yet though but cant say for sure......heres a few pics from previous trips out there at the boat/canoe access only sites....only the one pic of fish but did catch a few others back there and they do get bigger of course but honestly the times that I went out there I went out for mostly hiking and such and did not get to fish as much as I would have liked.....hoping to take a trip out there again this summer but im finding it harder and harder as there just too many great camping spots and fishing opportunity's that I keep finding much closer to home in the Okanagan area, lol.

Yes, without a doubt one of if not THE nicest area and private sites I have found yet.......the pic with the ducks in the water you could actually see quite a few trout swimming around in the pools (near the river mouth at the edge of the main campsites)....can't recall the reason I didn't try for any of em, lol...for some reason I think it was closed at the time but not sure.

I would think its safe to say that if Kamloops was too far of a drive for his gf to make then so would that lake..........maybe someone could recommend somewhere in the Golden area for him as well? (never really camped/fished out that way myself otherwise I would offer up some info on the area)

Wells Gray provincial park.....between Kamloops and Jasper.....head in there at Clearwater and follow to the end at Clearwater lake.....the lake is better of course with any sort of boat but you as well can rent boat/canoes at the main campground at the lake.....ask about the boat/canoe access only campsites and they are absolutely specatular....I had no prob loading up a 14ft alum with the woman, dog and a ton of gear and I am sure I would have been able to load it all in a canoe as well as my first trip out there to "scout" it out this is exactly what I did (cheap to rent at the main site/launch point).........VERY private and just the site/table and outhouse all to yourself as there are just a few scattered private sites down the lake its best to get ahold of them or get there early to make sure you get a site.....all else fails there is the main campsite as well as a few others in the park. Fishing is ok both in the river and in the lake as well as a few others in the area...and I have caught both from shore and boat.....just cant say for sure about this time of year as I have always gone later in the year....might be a bit cool back in there yet though but cant say for sure......heres a few pics from previous trips out there at the boat/canoe access only sites....only the one pic of fish but did catch a few others back there and they do get bigger of course but honestly the times that I went out there I went out for mostly hiking and such and did not get to fish as much as I would have liked.....hoping to take a trip out there again this summer but im finding it harder and harder as there just too many great camping spots and fishing opportunity's that I keep finding much closer to home in the Okanagan area, lol.

This spot looks ideal, would I be able to bug you to use the google maps like Dion did to get the exact location? I just am concerned about showing up there and getting lost, if it's not too big of a hassle that is.

It is however pretty much impossible to get lost going there....just google clearwater lake bc and you will see that as soon as you turn into Wells Gray Park at the town of Clearwater then you just stay on the main road that goes down to the lake......on google map and if i recall correctly the site that I stayed at is aabout 1/4 - 1/3 up the lake on the left where you see the little point jutting out.

as mentioned it is indeed boat access only but the canoe is I think 10/day and only takes about an hour or less to get over to it. The main campground is quite nice as well though and was never real busy when I was there as I stayed at the main campground a few times as well....still quite private sites in there also and no need for a boat......also you will see along the road from clearwater to the lake that there is other spots to camp as well.

If you do decide to go there and go to the boat access only sites then just ask at the main campground and they will be able to show you much more clearly where the sites are on the lake....it really doesn't get much better that out there!!....also worth noting is that there is also a decent run of chinooks there (clearwater river) in july/aug .....heck its even fun just watching them trying to clear/run up baileys chute!...some wild water there!